Black skin is no longer beautiful in Vhembe

Mothers in Vhembe, Limpopo are crying for help because their children – particularly young girls – are using skin bleaching products.

The easy-availability of illegal skin bleaching products in Thohoyandou has seen many young girls buy them to make their dark skins lighter. The mothers are blaming the local shop owners for selling products which they know are harmful to the skin and might cause permanent damage.

“We grew up with the saying that ‘black is beautiful’, but the youth of today seem not to have faith in that belief, choosing to regard lighter skin as more attractive and beautiful. And so they use all those dangerous skin bleaching products to turn themselves into yellow bones (light skinned),” said Tshilidzi Mulaudzi, a mother of three.

Some of the most popular skin bleaching brands being used in Vhembe include Extra Clair Lightening Cream, Caro Light, Cuticura Antiseptic Ointment, Motivate Complexion Lotion, Top Complexion Cream, Tenovate Cream and Epiderm Cream.

“Something needs to be done urgently to warn our youth against the use of all these products before it is too late. If we do not fight against the use of this products before 2020 almost all our children will be suffering from skin cancer,” said Mulaudzi.

”These days I can hardly recognise my daughter because of the creams (she is using. She is now light-skinned on her face, but the skin on her legs is still dark. These products are ruining the lives of our children. We try to warn them about the use of those products, but they do not listen. All they want is to be light skinned,” said Mavis Mafune, whose first-born daughter has been using skin bleaching products for a long period of time.

Professional nurse Irene Sithole agreed with the views of the worried parents, and warned the youth to stop using illegal skin bleaching producte dangerous and could lead to long lasting skin damage.

“There several health risks associated with the use of skin bleaching products. Side effects include flaking, redness and itching as the products are usually applied to sensitive areas like the face,” said Sithole.

She added: “For some, the use of those products may lead to chest pains, swelling of the skin, breathing difficulties and even skin cancer.” – Health-e News.

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About Ndivhuwo Mukwevho

Ndivhuwo Mukwevho is citizen journalist who is based in the Vhembe District of Limpopo province. He joined OurHealth in 2015 and his interests lie in investigative journalism and reporting the untold stories of disadvantaged rural communities. Ndivhuwo holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Studies from the University of Venda and he is currently a registered student with UNISA.